Posted on 05/02/2002 4:41:35 PM PDT by DrDeb
Edited on 04/13/2004 1:39:33 AM PDT by Jim Robinson. [history]
Ex, not reopen old wounds, but tell me something: how do you square this acknowledgment that hardcore conservatism isn't all that popular with your insane, drone-like insistence years ago that the key to GOP victory was nominating Buchanan, that Buchanan could win as a 3rd party candidate, that Buchanan reflected widely held views, ... well, you know the routine. Really, I'm curious.
I'm getting ready to close up for the day/evening, and this is a nice thread to finish with.
Our DIL is a new Bush Lady since 9/11. She stopped listening to Rush and Sean whine about GW about 2 weeks ago. Sean and Rush were new for her. She has a 3 year old and a 1 year old. She wants them to grow up to be good and happy Americans. Her best friends and neighbors for the most part made the transition with her to being GW backers.
We have a Jewish American friend, who has in the past 6 weeks become a firm GW backer. She spent a year in Israel after college and still has friends there. Like a lot of Jewish Americans who have been dems the last decade or so, she is now backing GW. Besides her friends in Israel, she has two teenagers, that she wants to survive and become productive Americans. This is a tremendous change.
Thanks again for find and posting this excellent thread!
And don't forget his signing of the Airport Security bill that added another 30,000 government employees - the SAME people who were checking baggage at airports are now getting over twice their previous salary.
And don't forget his support for the massive increase in "education spending".
And now we hear that he's probably going to sign the BLOATED farm bill.
Let me ask a serious question. Other than the tax cuts, his performance in the war on terror and his naming of some decent people to his administration, how many other issues has he signed on to that most conservatives consider anathema?
Is that all worth it just to get re-elected? I have serious concerns.
I believe that GW's coatails can be longer than the polls reflect - BUT, will he campaign, and campaign HARD, for his fellow Republican candidates?
You stated it far better than I could have - thank you. After those terrible eight years, we have been delivered from the wilderness, and we can again be proud of our President and First Lady. All you have to look at are the faces of our brave men and women in uniform who are so honored to have this fine man as their Commander-in-Chief, and then look at the delightful pictures of him and his (and our) First Lady with children - not "the chillern" who were only being used for cheap photo-ops from 1993-2001.
I think you're right. The pendulum swings and the party's stances on issues adjusts to where the pendulum is at each moment. The Republicans have always been the common sense party when the pendulum swings too wide. The Democrats have always been the unvirtuous party taking advantage of the victims of the pendulum when it's at it's widest points, and usually, like you said, in a divisive and even deceitful way. From blacks being victims of Democrats in the mid 1800s to the productive class being victims of Democrats today, The Democratic Party hasn't changed much from when they supported the private ownership of people based on the circumstances of their birth alone.
Good idea!
Well I've got to share my Bush story because even today, 24 hours later, it makes me smile.
I've got a friend, very dear man I've worked with for these past 5 years. He's an orthodox Jew while I am very much a Gentile. Since the first time we've worked together, we talked about everything, especially politics.
He is very liberal and had supported all things Democratic. I used to lament this stance as he was a very honorable man and I lamented endlessly why Jews, who should be Republicans in terms of economics and brains, were always Democrats. Sam would explain to me that Jews had a general wariness of anyone associated with any extreme in terms of religion, which would include right wing Christians. It was Christians, he explained to me, who sent millions of Jews to gas chambers.
Now I understood this and it was a perspective I hadn't considered. Still, I always felt that this batch of Dems today would sell him and his children down the river in a minute while that "far right" he mistrusted would be the ones to do the moral thing.
We always had the sort of relationship where we would tease each other on all things political. He made fun of Newt Gingrich et al and I gave him what for every day of my life over the lovely and moral Clinton. In fact, after the last election, he would poke fun at Bush, hinting that he was a mental lightweight and didn't even win the election.
Sam has three children now living in Israel. He's always been a fan of Israel, viewing it as seat of his cultural heritage. He used to spend many minutes explaining all things Israel to me; this before liking Israel was cool.
We both learned from each other is what I'm saying here, and it was a friendly political difference but no one's mind was ever completely closed. He and I both were political junkees of a sort.
Of late he'd taken to emailing me articles about Israel, all to make sure I was properly provided the truth. I don't see him every day but we do see each other on occasion.
I hadn't seen him in these past four months. Each and every day I would fume. I was right! Those far-right Christians Sam mistrusted were the very ones defending Israel. I couldn't wait until I had a chance to storm Sam's office with my facts.
Which I did yesterday.
I marched right in there and stood tall over his desk.
"Sam, everyday your hero Bibi Netanyahu is on TV and guess whose show he is on? Rush Limbaugh! Sean Hannity! Fox news!" I told him, hands on hips. And of course I had to mention our long ago discussion about Jews mistrusting "right wing Christians" and how he gave me a perspective I wouldn't have but for his comments.
"But now, Sam, it's those same far right Christians defending Israel with all of their hearts and souls."
Sam hemmed and hawed a bit and mentioned that people in the KKK and neo-Nazis probably voted Republican and that I shouldn't forget this.
"Sam, you should get down on your knees and thank God George W. Bush is your President after all the grief you gave me after that election."
"I AM glad Bush is president," Sam said softly, "and I intend to vote for him next time."
Then he went on to worry that Bush was going to give Sharon a hard time next week but that's just the point. Sam's comments about Bush giving Sharon a hard time were a waaaay different hue and cry from the humorous mockery of the man Sam exhibited after the election. Worrying about whether or not Dubya's going to take it easy on Sharon is indicator that Sam respects Bush and while he obviously does not want Bush to give Sharon a hard time, he accepts that one way or the other Bush is going to deal with Sharon with all the power and weight of the U.S. presidency.
Sam also told me he now listens to Rush Limbaugh and you could have knocked me over with half a feather. Sam spent hours making fun of Rush Limbaugh in a prior life!
While I'm not going to assert that Sam will change party affiliation tomorrow I really see a respect and appreciation for that "far right" so vehemently defending Israel. Yes and a gratefulness. Sam, like so many Jews I suspect, always feared that when the chips were down that America would turn its back on Israel and let it citizens be murdered in broad daylight. I see a happy guy in Sam and no mind he's worried about how Bush is going to treat Sharon, the point is he gives Dubya enough brain power to act like the leader he is.
Oh. Sam has NEVER told me who he is going to vote for but he told me yesterday he has every intention of voting for Bush. And he also told me he despises Hillary Clinton.
Franklin Roosevelt can be thanked for giving us the oppressive, bloated federal government and the IRS (though it didn't originate with him). John Kennedy was a mediocre man who dazzled a certain, philistine segment of American society.
Bush, so far, has proven to be outstanding.
To me, the great presidents have been Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln, Teddy Roosevelt, Truman, Reagan, and perhaps G. W. Bush.
How clever of you. NOT!!!!!
I love this approach! And I plan to use it!
Bush's coattails will be there because voters may actually factor the candidates' characters into their voting decision.
And where did Sam get that brilliant idea? "Probably"? The last I heard the Ku Klux Klan was solidly Democrat.
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